Prosopis
Guides
Acmaeodera acanthicola
Acmaeodera acanthicola is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species was described by Barr in 1972 and occurs in Central America and North America. Adults have been recorded on Prosopis and Parkinsonia, while larvae develop in Celtis. Like other members of this large genus, it exhibits the characteristic jewel beetle morphology with metallic coloration.
Acmaeoderopsis hulli
Acmaeoderopsis hulli is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae, occurring in Central America and North America. The species has been documented from mesquite-dominated habitats in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Adults are associated with Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite) and have been collected by beating branches and sweeping foliage. The genus Acmaeoderopsis is a small group within Buprestidae with limited published biological information.
Algarobius
Algarobius is a genus of seed beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Bruchinae, comprising approximately six described species. The genus is notable for its association with leguminous plants, particularly Prosopis species (mesquites). Algarobius prosopis has been widely used as a biological control agent against invasive mesquite weeds in South Africa. These beetles are specialized seed-feeders whose larvae develop within seeds.
Chalcolepidius tartarus
Chalcolepidius tartarus is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae. It belongs to a genus known for large, striking species often associated with woody vegetation. The species has been documented in the southwestern United States, particularly in Arizona, where it has been collected from desert scrub habitats.
Chrysobothris octocola
Chrysobothris octocola is a metallic wood-boring beetle (family Buprestidae) native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species is strongly associated with mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), where adults are found on dead or stressed branches and larvae develop in the wood. It represents a notable range extension into Oklahoma, where it was first documented in 2012. The species exhibits fall adult activity and has been collected in association with juniper in some areas, though mesquite remains the primary documented host.
Echinargus
Reakirt's blue
Echinargus is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae, containing the single species Echinargus isola (Reakirt's blue). The genus was described by Vladimir Nabokov in 1945. The species is notable for its extensive migratory behavior, regularly moving northward from its core range in Central America and the southern United States into northern regions.
Efferia mesquite
Mesquite robber fly
Efferia mesquite is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, described by Bromley in 1951. The species epithet "mesquite" suggests an association with mesquite trees (Prosopis spp.), which serve as perching and hunting substrates for adults. Like other Efferia species, it is a predatory fly that captures other insects in flight. The genus Efferia is part of a complex of robber flies formerly grouped under Efferia but now split into several genera including Efferia sensu stricto and Triorla.
Friseria cockerelli
mesquite webworm moth, mesquite webworm
Friseria cockerelli is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, commonly known as the mesquite webworm moth. Its larvae are web-forming caterpillars that feed on mesquite (Prosopis spp.) and construct silk webs on host plants. The species occurs in Mexico and the southern United States, with adults active primarily from April to September.
Megacyllene antennata
Mesquite Borer
Megacyllene antennata is a longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Larvae develop in woody tissues of mesquite trees (Prosopis spp., Fabaceae). Adult males produce a pheromone blend containing (S)-α-terpineol and (E)-2-hexenol, which attracts both sexes. The species was described by White in 1855 and is less boldly patterned than related eastern species such as M. robiniae and M. caryae.
Mozena
leaf-footed bugs
Mozena is a genus of leaf-footed bugs in the family Coreidae, containing more than 30 described species. The genus was established by Amyot & Serville in 1843 and is placed in the tribe Nematopodini. Some species, such as M. obtusa, have been investigated as potential biocontrol agents for invasive Prosopis (mesquite) species. Members of this genus are found primarily in the Americas, with records from the southwestern United States through Mexico.
Oncideres pustulata
Coastal Huisache Girdler
Oncideres pustulata is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1854. It is distributed across Mexico and the southern United States. The species is a twig girdler, with larvae that develop within girdled branches of host plants in the genera Leucaena and Prosopis. It is known to feed on Leucaena leucocephala, Leucaena pulverulenta, Prosopis alba, and Prosopis chilensis.
Oncideres rhodosticta
Mesquite Girdler
Oncideres rhodosticta is a twig-girdling longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults emerge in late summer (August–September) and feed on mesquite foliage. Females engage in distinctive girdling behavior, chewing complete rings through the bark and cambium of living mesquite twigs to create oviposition sites in the dying distal portions. Larvae develop within the dead twigs, completing a one-year life cycle. The species is economically significant as a pest of mesquite in rangeland and agricultural settings.
Pococera euphemella
Mesquite Leaf Tier Moth
Pococera euphemella is a moth species in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Epipaschiinae. It is commonly known as the Mesquite Leaf Tier Moth. The species was described by Hulst in 1888 and is classified under the genus Pococera, which includes several leaf-rolling or leaf-tying caterpillar species that feed on woody plants. As a member of Epipaschiinae, it belongs to a group of pyralid moths whose larvae typically construct shelters by tying or rolling leaves.
Schistocerca shoshone
green bird grasshopper, green valley grasshopper
Schistocerca shoshone is a large grasshopper in the bird grasshopper group, recognized by its green coloration. The species exhibits notable dietary plasticity: while fundamentally polyphagous, populations have been observed specializing on single host plants including Simmondsia and Prosopis when these dominate local vegetation. Genetic differences between populations may underlie this feeding behavior variation. It ranges across southwestern North America and has been documented as far north as Colorado.